Rio Ferdinand has criticised Manchester United for selling a player that he wants to see feature at the 2026 World Cup next summer.
United have made a number of unsuccessful recruitment decisions over recent years, though they have generally related to incomings rather than outgoings.
The club spent an initial £77 million on Brazil winger Antony from Ajax in 2022, only to sell him for just £21.6m to Real Betis three years on.
Rasmus Hojlund was sent out on loan to Napoli in the summer, despite United spending £72 million to sign the Denmark striker from fellow Serie A side Atalanta just two years earlier.
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Both of those players have had successful starts at their new clubs, with Hojlund scoring four goals in his first seven matches.
Looking much further back, another striker who has achieved great success since leaving United is academy graduate Danny Welbeck.
Welbeck came through the academy and signed his first professional contract with United, before spending time on loan at Preston North End and Sunderland.
His latter spell at Sunderland, in the Premier League, saw him score six goals, and he was integrated into Sir Alex Ferguson's first team upon his return in 2011.
Louis van Gaal surprisingly sanctioned his departure to Arsenal for £16 million in 2014, with Welbeck helping the Gunners to two FA Cup titles and scoring 32 goals in 126 games.
Injury problems affected the latter years of his spell in north London, but he has become one of the Premier League's most reliable and experienced strikers since signing for Brighton in 2020.
Welbeck scored 10 goals in the Premier League last term - the highest seasonal tally of his career - and already has five goals in nine games in 2025/26.
Speaking on his 'Rio Ferdinand Presents' YouTube channel, the 34-year-old's former team-mate Ferdinand has tipped Welbeck for a surprise recall to the England squad under Thomas Tuchel - and says United should never have sold him.
"He's second to Harry Kane [in the ranking of England strikers right now]," Ferdinand said. "If we're talking form right now, if the squad was being picked tomorrow, Danny Welbeck has to go, man.
"He's experienced, he can do different types of things on the pitch for you. He can run in behind if need be, like we saw at Old Trafford at the weekend. He can come short and link play as well as anybody, outside of Harry Kane. He's an all-round footballer.
"If it weren't for the injuries that he had earlier in his career... and I think he should have stayed at Manchester United. I always say this to him. I understand sometimes that it's not his decision.
"But I think it was a balls-up that they actually let him leave the football club. Manchester boy, loves the club, a great kid, never a day's trouble for anybody. Never gets in trouble, nose is always clean. Got a nice way about him, a great family. What are you selling him for?
"Whoever came in and said, 'Yeah, he can go'. You go, 'No, no, no, this one's out of your hands, mate. This ain't for you. You don't know the details behind this one. Leave this to us. And he's in, he's staying. So make it work'.
"That's what should have happened with Danny Welbeck. I would take him [to the World Cup]. If he finishes this season in the form he's in right now, there's no way you can't take him. You're only going there for a month ... he can do that role where he can come in and out and be a supporting role to someone like Harry Kane."
Welbeck was linked with a return to United last summer under Erik ten Hag, but the move never materialised.
And The Athletic reported in September that Ruben Amorim and his recruitment team 'explored conditions' of re-signing Welbeck again, but that minority co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was hesitant to offer the 34-year-old a two-year contract and did not table an official proposal.
Topics: Rio Ferdinand, Manchester United, England, FIFA World Cup
Ryan Smart